Classrooms with small Crestron touch panels

Summary

Overview of newer classroom technology using Crestron control panels

Body

The enhanced classrooms include the ability to do the following activities:

  • Show the instructor or the front of the room via the point and zoom camera.
  • Capture the instructor audio via the microphones.
  • Capture the student audio via the ceiling microphones.
  • Show the document camera on the screen.

The following information is meant to quickly orient you to the room as well as provide a few how to’s specific to the technology in the room.

Room Control

Use the control panel to control these aspects of the room.  It will turn on the projector, the camera, and the audio.  And, if the room has a controlled screen it will also raise and lower the screen.

Power On/Off (lower right) – powers on the projector
pointed to in picture by the green arrow

Computer Inputs (top) – selecting 1 will project the computer in the classroom; selecting 2 will project a laptop plugged into the HDMI cable.
pointed to in picture by the red arrows

Volume (bottom) – mute button on the left, up and down with the – and +.
pointed to in picture by the grey arrows

Display Hide (middle) – this is used to hide the projected display, sometimes called mute, and show on the computer monitor only.
pointed to in picture by the yellow arrow

*Screen (middle left and right) – if this is enabled in your room these buttons are used to raise (left) and lower (right) the projector screen (pointed to in picture by the purple arrows).

 

 

 

Hints

Blanking the projection to record the whiteboard – if you would like to blank the room projection of the computer and just capture the screen you can select the second input source on the panel. 

Then raise the screen.

 

Room Microphones

Select “Line In” for the microphone source.

The lapel, hand held, and ceiling microphones go into the same source.  You may use one or all of them.  In smaller rooms if you are loud enough then the ceiling mics will likely be enough.  But if you are soft-spoken then use the lapel mic: 1) clip it on your apparel in the center of your check and 2) put the receiver in a pocket.  If teaching with a mask, the hand held mic is recommended as the lapel mic is challenged in this situation.

Room Camera

Select “Aver…” for the camera source to show the room.

The Aver camera is a point-zoom-pan camera.  By default it is set to show the full front of the room.

Using the remote you may zoom and pan the camera to a desired location.  Note, the location will be reset to the default when the room is powered off and then back on.

The top of the remote is pictured on the right.

Zoom in and out – use the toggle button pointed to by the yellow arrow.

Pan – use the arrow keys toward the top pointed to by the purple arrow (2).

Presets – there will be preset views configured (up to 10).  You will be able to select the preset by holding down the M key in the middle and selecting the appropriate numbered key below, pointed to by the red arrows (3).

Preset 0 will by the wide shot to the front of the room.
If a preset needs to be reset, hold the M button for a count of 2 then select the number.

Auto-focus – focuses on faces.  The option is set to on by default.  You may turn it on and off by the button on the middle left pointed to by the green arrow (4); hold it for 4 seconds.  This option is set by each user on the specific classroom computer and, currently, cannot be set globally for all users.

 

 

 

Camera app – the camera tool is built into Windows.  You may find it by typing in the search bar in the lower left or over the Windows icon.  With this tool you may show the camera while sharing your screen.  You can also use it to see the status of the auto-focus toggle.

 

 

 

Troubleshooting

Focus - If the camera continues to focus then select the Auto-focus (4) button above to turn off the auto-focus.

 

Document Camera

Open the “Camera” application to show the document camera.

In Collaborate you can share camera or share screen/application to show the document camera in a window.

The document camera can be projected by using the Camera app or the Flex 11 app (note, 11 is the version number and the current icon is green). 

When recording with Panopto (pointed to by green arrow) you want to use the above application and record the screen and do not select the doc camera as a primary source.

With Collaborate you may select the document camera in the Share Camera option (select Hover… as the source) or use the application/screen with the Camera app open.

The document camera has zoom, auto-focus, and flip image controls.   

Flip image – middle button on the camera.

Autofocus Lock – bottom left button on the camera.

   

Troubleshooting

  • Image Display - If the image is displayed with an incorrect orientation see the “Flip Image” button above.
  • Focus – if the focus continuously shifts then try the Autofocus lock above.
     

 

Software Tools

Collaborate – use this tool to bring students and guests in synchronously to your classroom.  You may also record your session.

Panopto – use this tool to record your class for asynchronous viewing later meaning no one is joining the class during the class period or you are recording a flipped or online lesson.

VLC – use this tool to show your DVD’s.

Camera – use this tool to open the camera view in a window.

Flex – use this tool to open up the Hover document camera app.

How to’s on several of these tools and how to use them can be found in Harvey in the FRC-Technology Teaching and Learning org.  Contact the Faculty Resource Center (frc-help@utulsa.edu, 918-631-2056) for training with Collaborate and Panopto.

For self-help documents go to help.utulsa.edu.

 

Checklist for the end of class

  1. Power off the system unless someone is coming in after you.
  2. Power off the lapel and hand-held mic’s.
  3. Make sure your Panopto recording is in the “processing” stage.
  4. Sign-off the computer.

 

Need help?

Classroom Support (classroom technology help) – 918-631-3500 then press 1

General Tech Support – 918-631-3500

Faculty Resource Center (help for Faculty) – 918-631-2056

Self-help – help.utulsa.edu

 

Details

Details

Article ID: 141339
Created
Fri 8/19/22 5:15 PM
Modified
Mon 10/24/22 12:04 PM